A Safer Skyline: How AI Can Protect Construction Forces

As cities like New York continue to grow and expand their skylines, so does the human cost and risk of building it. According to the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), the number of construction deaths rose a staggering 43% across 2024. Of those deaths, 74% were classified as preventable. Major metropolitan hubs like Houston have seen a steady rise in construction-related deaths, accounting for 22% of all fatalities in Texas in 2023. This is not anomalous – construction fatalities have hit the highest number since 2011, accounting for nearly one in five worker deaths in the U.S., according to OSHA. Nationwide, this is a red flag. The safety enforcement tools we have utilized to date, are no longer compatible or keeping up with the demand of cities skylines. As skylines grows deadlier, we must take action to turn the tide to stay ahead of emerging construction demands, and to prioritize the safety of our construction force.

Safety’s Nationwide Consequences

The consequences of preventable construction deaths reach far beyond the job site. For families and loved ones, the loss can be personal and often devastating. Behind every fatality is a parent, a partner, a daughter or son – someone who left for work and never came home. These tragedies leave emotional scars and, often, financial strain for those left behind to navigate.

For construction companies, fatalities impact teams, productivity and reputation. Lawsuits stemming from unsafe conditions can result in hefty fines or prolonged legal battles. OSHA violations and citations bring financial penalties, but the real damage often lies in reputation. Construction companies and leadership known for unsafe practices will find themselves ignored from major projects or government contracts, putting their reputation and future opportunities on the line.

Internally, repeated safety failures leave a mark on workforce morale. When workers do not feel safe, productivity drops. When workers are shown they are not safe, workers may flee. A culture of fear and mistrust settles in, one that affects everything from attendance to performance quality. Skilled laborers talk, and in a competitive market, word travels fast. Unsafe job sites make it harder to recruit and retain top talent. As experienced workers reroute to safer employers, companies may be forced to rely on newer, not as well-trained workers, increasing potential of risk.

Broader economic impacts come into play as well. Delays caused by accidents or investigations can stall construction timelines, drive up costs, and damage relationships with investors and clients. If there are not enough employees able to complete the job, construction delays can ensue, often for an undetermined amount of time as companies grapple with a loss of workforce.

The bottom line: Safety is not just a human issue; it is a business liability. A failure to prioritize safety creates a chain reaction of negative outcomes within as well as outside the industry. In an industry already battling labor shortages and rising costs, safety is a risk no builder can afford to ignore. Ensuring construction worker safety is not just the right thing to do, it is essential for operational success, community trust, and long-term brand reputation.

The AI “Band-Aid” for Construction Safety

Traditional safety protocols, whether it be floor inspections, post-incident investigations or safety checklist tracking, were designed for a different era. The methods used throughout the 20th century are no longer compatible for the demand of the 21st. Today’s job sites are faster, more complex, and under increasing pressure to deliver quickly. To keep up, construction safety needs to evolve at that same rate – Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping lead that transformation.

AI does not replace human judgment, it supplements it. AI safety and compliance tools are changing the game to monitor workers in real time. These systems can detect high risk movements or environmental hazards before they escalate into injuries, such as forecasting potential safety incidents or flagging structural vulnerabilities or unsafe zones without putting human inspectors at risk. When integrated with site operations, they can provide safety compliance rules to all employees in real time turning near misses into opportunities for intervention. Companies across the home and beverage industries are already seeing results – global leaders like IKEA and Coca-Cola have implemented AI-powered safety tools to proactively identify hazards and promote safer behavior. The outcome? Fewer injuries, lower costs, and a workforce that feels seen, protected, and empowered.

In construction, where conditions shift by the hour, this kind of 360 monitoring is a game changer. AI can analyze large amounts of data – from on the floor photo analysis to equipment usage – and flag risks that human supervisors might otherwise miss. When paired with experienced safety personnel, it creates a system where data informs decisions, not replaces them. By providing access to this software company wide, top executives and front-line workers are on an equal playing filed – educated and aware of safety measures implemented for their benefit. When workers know their safety is actively monitored and prioritized, morale improves, and productivity rises – leading to a drop in turnover. Companies build a reputation not just for what they construct, but how they care for the people who build it. The future of safety isn’t about replacing people, it’s about providing them access to better tools to work in tandem, leaving no one unprotected.

In today’s political and economic climate, where frontline workers have become the focus of many national conversations around labor rights, prioritizing safety is no longer optional, it’s a responsibility. By embracing AI-driven solutions and investing in a culture of protection, New York and other major cities can turn tragedy into transformation and show the rest of the country what progress really looks like. As AI becomes more sophisticated and accessible, it offers the construction industry a critical advantage: the ability to build smarter, safer, and more sustainably, without compromising on speed or quality. Let’s not wait for another startling statistic or headline. Let’s build a future where safety is foundational, not reactive, because no building is worth more than the lives it takes to build it.